Newsmax

Aprl 1, 2015

Israel's Counter Terrorism Bureau is warning to Israelis to stay away from 39 countries, which shows the extent of the potential terrorist threat against Westerners around the world.

In its spring travel warnings, the bureau said recent terrorist attacks by Islamic militants in Belgium, Canada, Australia, France, and Denmark raise concerns about further attacks against Western targets, including Israeli and Jewish targets.

The attacks could come from veterans of the fighting in Syria and Iraq who are affiliated with global jihad, including Islamic State, and from local elements inspired by the terrorist organizations, the bureau stated.

It is illegal for Israelis to travel to Syria, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia. The bureau warned Israelis to also avoid visits to Afghanistan, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Burkina-Faso, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Pakistan, and Togo, due to concrete threats. Any Israelis in those countries were advised to leave immediately, the Jewish Daily Forward reported.

"The global terrorist campaign by Iran and Hezbollah continues to threaten Israeli and Jewish targets around the world, especially tourists and Jewish symbols (rabbis, community leaders, Chabad houses)," the bureau stated.

The bureau also said there are high concrete threats regarding travel to Algeria, Djibouti, and Tunisia, and basic concrete threats regarding travel to Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

The warnings were issued ahead of the spring holidays in Israel, including Passover and Independence Day, when many Israelis travel abroad. The warnings are based on "solid and reliable information, which reflect tangible threats, and which are based on the intelligence picture for the given period," the bureau said.

There are continuing potential threats regarding travel to Azerbaijan, Turkey, Morocco, Oman, Kenya, and Nigeria, according to the bureau, which recommends that Israelis avoid non-essential visits to these countries.

Israel's bureau also pointed to threats in southern Thailand, the southern Philippines island of Mindanao, Chechnya, the northern India state of Jammu and Kashmir, eastern Senegal, and northern Nigeria.